0. INTRODUCTION
1. SCOPE
   1. Functional definition
   2. Field of application
   3. Principles
2. REFERENCES
3. TERMS AND DEFINITIONS
   1. Standard terms and definitions
4. MESSAGE DEFINITION
   1. Segment clarification
   2. Segment index (alphabetical sequence by tag)
   3. Message structure
      1. Segment table

This specification provides the definition of the Authorization message (AUTHOR) to be used in Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) between trading partners involved in administration, commerce and transport.

An Authorization Message is sent by the Ordering Customer (or Payor or Agent on behalf of the Ordering Customer) or by a third party having authority on the Ordering Customer's payments to the Ordered Bank, to authorize the Ordered Bank to execute a given financial transaction.

This financial transaction might relate to both multiple messages like PAYMUL and DIRDEB, and single instruction messages like PAYORD and PAYEXT.

An Authorization Message could also be sent from the Ordered Bank to the Ordering Customer or its Authorization Authority to request authorization for a given financial transaction.

Throughout this document the term 'Original Message' refers to the message to be authorized.

The Authorization message may be used for both national and international applications. It is based on universal practice related to administration, commerce and transport, and is not dependent on the type of business or industry.

• The authorization carried by the message applies to the whole original message (i.e. to all instructions within the message) or to individual debit transactions and their related credits.
• The AUTHOR message may also authorize a single transaction in a multiple direct debit transaction.

See UNTDID, Part 4, Chapter 2.3 UN/ECE UNSM - General Introduction, Section 1.

See UNTDID, Part 4, Chapter 2.3 UN/ECE UNSM - General Introduction, Section 2.

This section should be read in conjunction with the segment table which indicates mandatory, conditional and repeating requirements.

The following semantic principles applying to the message are intended to facilitate the understanding of the message.

The Authorization message is structured in three levels: A, B, and C.

Level A Segment Groups 1, 2, 3 and 9 contains general data related to the whole message.

Level B Segment Groups 4 and 5 contains data identifying the message or transaction to be authorized.

Level C Segment Groups 6 to 8 contains the authorization.

The structure of the message is designed to allow several B levels, each B level being followed by its related C levels.

Where a choice of code or text is given only the code element should be used wherever possible.

0010 UNH, Message header

A service segment starting and uniquely identifying a message. The message type code for the Authorization message is AUTHOR.

Note: Authorization messages conforming to this document must contain the following data in segment UNH, composite S009:

0020 BGM, Beginning of message

A segment for unique identification of the Authorization message, its type and number and its function, i.e., specifying if it is an authorization or request for authorization.

0030 DTM, Date/time/period

A segment containing the creation date of the Authorization Message.

0040 BUS, Business function

A segment providing information for routing of the message.

0050 Segment Group 1: RFF-DTM

A group of segments identifying the message to be authorized and possibly the request for an authorization which has been previously sent.

0060 RFF, Reference

A segment referring to the message that has to be authorized or to a previously-sent request for authorization.

0070 DTM, Date/time/period

A segment indicating the date and time of creation of the message referenced in the RFF segment or possibly the payment date.

0080 Segment Group 2: FII-CTA-COM

A group of segments identifying the financial institutions involved in the Authorization message.

0090 FII, Financial institution information

A segment identifying the Ordered Bank acting for the Ordering Customer and/or Payor and the relevant account number and currency.

0100 CTA, Contact information

A segment identifying a person or department for the financial institution specified in the FII segment and to whom communication should be directed.

0110 COM, Communication contact

A segment providing communication numbers for the financial institution identified in the FII segment and optionally for the contact identified in the associated CTA segment.

0120 Segment Group 3: NAD-CTA-COM

A group of segments identifying the parties involved in the exchange of the message.

0130 NAD, Name and address

A segment identifying the name and address of the non-financial parties involved in the exchange of this message. (Sender and Recipient).

0140 CTA, Contact information

A segment identifying a person or department for the party specified in the NAD segment and to whom communication should be directed.

0150 COM, Communication contact

A segment providing communication numbers for the party identified in the NAD segment and optionally for the contact identified in the associated CTA segment.

0160 Segment Group 4: LIN-SG5-SG6-SG7-SG8

A group of segments identifying a message or a group of transactions in a message or a specific transaction in a multiple message.

0170 LIN, Line item

A segment specifying the beginning of details referring to the message/transaction to be authorized.

0180 Segment Group 5: RFF-DTM

A groups of segments specifying reference numbers, dates and/or times needed to identify a referenced message or transaction.

0190 RFF, Reference

A segment indicating reference number(s) for the message or transaction to be authorized.

0200 DTM, Date/time/period

A segment specifying the date/time of the referenced message or transaction.

0210 Segment Group 6: SEQ-GEI-DTM-MOA-DOC

A group of segments identifying the authorization of the message/transaction.

0220 SEQ, Sequence details

A segment identifying the beginning of the details needed to give the authorization.

0230 + GEI, Processing information

A segment specifying the kind of authorization given to the referenced message/transaction in a coded form.

0240 DTM, Date/time/period

A segment identifying dates related to the referenced message/transaction.

0250 MOA, Monetary amount

A segment giving the amount of the referenced message/transaction.

0260 DOC, Document/message details

A segment identifying referenced numbers of the referenced message/transaction.

0270 Segment Group 7: FII-CTA-COM

A group of segments identifying the financial institutions associated with the referenced message/transaction.

0280 FII, Financial institution information

A segment identifying a financial institution related to the referenced message/transaction.

0290 CTA, Contact information

A segment identifying a person or department for the party specified in the FII segment and to whom communication should be directed.

0300 COM, Communication contact

A segment providing communication numbers for the party identified in the FII segment and optionally for the contact identified in the associated CTA segment.

0310 Segment Group 8: NAD-CTA-COM

A group of segments identifying the name and address of non-financial parties associated with the referenced message/transaction.

0320 NAD, Name and address

A segment identifying a non-financial party related to the referenced message/transaction.

0330 CTA, Contact information

A segment identifying a person or a department for the party identified in the NAD segment and to whom communication should be directed.

0340 COM, Communication contact

A segment identifying communications types and numbers for the persons or departments specified in the associated CTA segment.

0350 CNT, Control total

A segment identifying the type of control checks and totals.

0360 Segment Group 9: AUT-DTM

A segment group identifying the authentication procedures used.

0370 AUT, Authentication result

A segment specifying the details of any authentication (validation) procedure applied to the Authorisation message.

0380 DTM, Date/time/period

A segment defining the validation date/time.

0390 UNT, Message trailer

A service segment ending a message, giving the total number of segments in the message (including the UNH & UNT) and the control reference number of the message.

	AUT	Authentication result
	BGM	Beginning of message
	BUS	Business function
	CNT	Control total
	COM	Communication contact
	CTA	Contact information
	DOC	Document/message details
	DTM	Date/time/period
	FII	Financial institution information
	GEI	Processing information
	LIN	Line item
	MOA	Monetary amount
	NAD	Name and address
	RFF	Reference
	SEQ	Sequence details
	UNH	Message header
	UNT	Message trailer

Change indicators
plus sign		An addition.
asterisk		Addition/substraction/change to a code entry for a particular data element.
hash or pound sign		Changes to names.
vertical bar		Changes to text for descriptions, notes and functions.
minus sign		A deletion.
letter X		Marked for deletion.